Gurdaspur Court Issues Key Directions in Police Encounter Case
In a significant development, the Gurdaspur judicial magistrate has issued a series of directives concerning the alleged police encounter of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh on February 26. This follows the family's consent to a postmortem conducted on Tuesday, marking a pivotal step in the ongoing investigation.
Background of the Case
Ranjit Singh was one of three suspects implicated in the February 21 killing of two police officers at a police post in Adhian village, located just 1 kilometer from the Pakistan border. The double murder had sparked widespread outrage across the state, while the subsequent encounter in the early hours of February 26 has come under intense scrutiny. In response, Ranjit's family approached the district court, which passed several crucial orders on Monday.
Postmortem and Family Involvement
Dilbagh Singh, father of one of the other suspects in police custody, confirmed that the postmortem was carried out during the day. At the family's request, the body was shown to relatives before the procedure. A team of doctors and lawyers was present at the hospital, with heavy police deployment and senior officers overseeing the process to ensure transparency.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings
Dilbagh's son, Dilawar Singh, was arrested on February 25, the same day Ranjit was apprehended by the police. The third suspect, Inderjit Singh, was taken into custody on February 27. These arrests are part of the broader investigation into the killings of the two police officers.
Court Orders for Evidence Preservation
On Monday, the magistrate issued specific orders to preserve critical evidence, including:
- CCTV footage from the encounter site
- GPS data and call detail records of the involved policemen
- Other electronic evidence related to the incident
Additionally, the court directed the senior medical officer of Gurdaspur Civil Hospital to form a medical board. This board is tasked with examining injuries sustained by CIA in-charge Gurmeet Singh to determine whether he was fired upon or if the bullet injury was self-inflicted.
Family's Legal Requests
Ranjit's mother, Sukhjinder Kaur, had petitioned for an autopsy to be conducted by a board from PGIMER or another reputable government medical college. In a further directive, the court ordered police officials named in her plea—including the Gurdaspur SSP and relevant SHOs—to provide their phone numbers to the investigating officer and the telecom company for verification purposes.
This case continues to unfold as authorities work to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into the events surrounding the encounter and the prior killings.
